Geography of Manitoba

353 Pages·1996·24.811 MB·English

by  John Welsted, John Everitt, Christoph Stadel

THE GEOGRAPHY OF MANITOBA

THE
G E O G R A P HY
OF
MANITOBA
ITS LAND AND ITS PEOPLE
Edited by
John Welsted
John Everitt
Christoph Stadel
The University of Manitoba Press
© The University of Manitoba Press 1996
Reprinted 1997
Printed in Canada on acid-free, recycled paper oo
This book is dedicated to Brian Evans, John Tyman, and Tom Weir,
pioneers of geography teaching at Manitoba's universities.
Design: Norman Schmidt
Cover photograph: John Everitt
Frontispiece: Manitoba — The Keystone Province
Figures 11.2, 11.3, and 11.4 reproduced courtesy of the Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina.
These illustrations first appeared in Brandon: Geographical Perspectives on the Wheat City (Regina: Canadian
Plains Research Center, 1988). The aerial photographs shown as figures 2.2.5, 2.7,4.9,10.5, and 12.1.1
(c. 1958,1958,1964,1988, and 1972 respectively), Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, reproduced
from the collection of the National Air Photo Library with permission of Natural Resources Canada.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
The Geography of Manitoba : its land and its people
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-88755-635-3
1. Manitoba—Geography. I. Welsted, John E.
II. Everitt, John C. III. Stadel, Christoph
FC3361.G461996 917.127 C95-900974-4
F1062.G46 1996
The publication of this book has been made possible by the financial support of
The Thomas Sill Foundation Inc. and other funders. A full list of sponsors is included
in the Preface.
CONTENTS
lAst of Case Studies vi
List of Figures vii
List of Tables xiii
Foreword, by John Warkentin xiv
Preface xvi
1 Manitoba: Geographical Identity of a Prairie Province, John Welsted, John Everitt, and Christoph Stadel 3
PART 1: THE PHYSICAL BACKGROUND 9
2 Geology and Landforms of Manitoba, M. Timothy Corkery 11
3 The Climate of Manitoba, Danny Blair 31
4 Manitoba's Ecoclimatic Regions, Geoffrey A. J. Scott 43
PART 2: PEOPLE AND SETTLEMENTS 61
5 Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric Settlement and Subsistence in Southern Manitoba, B.A. Nicholson 65
6 The Historical Development of the Cultural Landscape of Manitoba to 1870, Barry Kaye 79
1 Settlement: The Making of a Landscape, John C. Lehr 92
8 Population of Manitoba: Patterns and Trends, C. Emdad Haque 108
9 Aboriginal Settlement in Manitoba, Samuel W. Corrigan and Robert C. Annis 125
10 Winnipeg: Heartbeat of the Province, Tom Carter 136
11 The Non-Metropolitan Settlements of Southern Manitoba, Christoph Stadel 152
12 Northern Living and Resource Towns, Alvin Kienetz 167
13 Electoral Behaviour in Manitoba: The Convergence of Geography and Politics, Meir Serfaty 177
PART 3: RESOURCES AND INDUSTRY 195
14 The Development of the Grain Trade in Manitoba, John Everitt 197
15 Agriculture in Manitoba, William J. Carlyle 219
16 Mining and Extractive Industries in Manitoba, Harvey R. Young 237
17 Manitoba's Manufacturing Sector, Daniel Todd 255
18 Manitoba's Water Resources, John Welsted 266
PART 4: RECREATION 287
19 Recreation and Tourism in Manitoba, Alison M. Gill 289
20 "Tough To Make It": The History of Professional Team Sports in Manitoba, Morris Mott 302
21 Outlook, John Everitt, John Welsted, and Christoph Stadel 316
Contributors 321
Index 323
List of Abbreviations 328
CASE STUDIES
1.1 The Manitoba Great Lakes, R.A. McGinn 6
2.1 Karst in Manitoba, Geraldine Sweet 23
2.2 The Brandon Hills, John Welsted and Harvey R. Young 25
2.3 Evolution of the Lower Assiniboine River, W.F. Rannie 28
3.1 Battleground of Temperature Extremes, Alan J.W. Catchpole 40
3.2 Drought in Manitoba, Timothy F. Ball 41
4.1 The Spruce Woods Sandhills, Al Rogosin 56
5.1 Prehistoric Farmers in Southern Manitoba, B.A, Nicholson 77
6.1 The Buffalo Robe Trade and Hivernant Communities on the Northern Plains, Gerhard J. Ens 89
7.1 The Township and Range Survery System, James M. Richtik 102
7.2 Asessippi: A Colonization Company Town, David McDowell 103
7.3 Mennonite Reserves, James M. Richtik 105
8.1 Graying of Manitoba, Geoffrey C. Smith 119
8.2 Changing Religious Trends in Manitoba, Laurence Nixon 121
8.3 Cemeteries of Southern Manitoba, James W. Darlington 122
9.1 The Indian Treaties and Reserves, Samuel W. Corrigan and Robert C. Annis 133
9.2 St. Theresa Point: Band No. 298, Roy Mason and Robert C. Annis 134
10.1 The Forks, Tom Carter 150
11.1 Evolution of the Strathclair District, William G. Hillman 161
11.2 Dauphin: A Prairie Service Centre, Henry Sikora 164
12.1 Churchill: Historic Settlement, Arctic Seaport, Tourist Centre, Geraldine Sweet 172
12.2 Winter Roads, Richard H. Foster 175
13.1 The Brandon-Souris Riding, Lee Clark 189
13.2 Local Government in Manitoba, Meir Serfaty 192
13.3 Planning Districts in Manitoba, Ronald W, Tompkins 193
14.1 N.M. Paterson and Sons Ltd.: AHome-Grown Success Story, John Everitt21#
14.2 The End of the Line: The Life and Death of the Lenore Extension, Allison Williams and John Everitt217
15.1 Hutterites in Manitoba, John Ryan 233
15.2 The Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame, Fred McGuinness 235
16.1 The Centennial Mine, Calvert C. Bristol 251
17.1 Brandon's Manufacturing: The Agricultural Connection, Paul J. Curtis 262
17.2 The Effect of the North American Free Trade Agreement on the Manitoba Economy, John Ryan 264
18.1 Fish on the Prairies? A Colonial Resource Economy, Frank J. Tough 281
18.2 Flooding and Flood Protection on the Red River Plain, W.F. Rannie 283
18.3 The Changing Fortunes of Pelican Lake, John Welsted 285
19.1 The Summer Cottage at Lake Winnipeg, John Selwood 296
19.2 The Seasonal Resort of Wasagaming, Riding Mountain National Park, Christoph Stadel 298
19.3 Museums: Scattered Remnants of People's Heritage, E. Leigh Syms 300
20.1 The Winnipeg Whips, 1970-71, Morris Mott 315
FIGURES
1.1 The Location of Manitoba 4
1.2 The Territorial Growth of Manitoba 5
1.1.1 The Manitoba Great Lakes 6
2.1 Generalized Geology of Manitoba 13
2.2 Geological Cross-section of Southern Manitoba 14
2.3 Preglacial Drainage of the Prairies 16
2.4 Major Glacial Depositional Features of Southern Manitoba 18
2.5 The Extent of Glacial Lake Agassiz 19
2.6 The Souris Elbow of Capture 20
2.7 Incised Meander and an Abandoned Meander of the Souris River at Wawanesa 20
2.8 Physiographic Regions of Manitoba 21
2.9 Physiographic Regions of Southern Manitoba 21
2.1.1 Location of Karst Areas in Manitoba 23
2.1.2 Karst Features of the Grand Rapids-William Lake Area 24
2.1.3 Cross-profile of Moosearm Pit, in the Grand Rapids-William Lake Area 25
2.2.1 Location of the Brandon Hills 25
2.2.2 Topography of the Brandon Hills 26
2.2.3 Topographic Profile along the Hydro Road 26
2.2.4 The Steep East-facing Side of the Eastern Ridge of the Brandon Hills 27
2.2.5 The Eastern Part of the Brandon Hills 27
2.3.1 Evolution of the Lower Assiniboine River 28
2.3.2 Paleochannels of the Lower Assiniboine River 29
2.3.3 Cross-profiles of the Assiniboine Fan South of the Assiniboine River, Showing Major Alluvial Ridges 30
2.3.4 Paleochannels South of the Assiniboine River 30
3.1 Idealized General Circulation of the Global Climate 32
3.2 Air Masses that Affect North America 33
3.3 Monthly Mean Daily Maximum and Minimum Temperatures in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Winnipeg,
Manitoba 33
3.4 Mean Daily Maximum Temperatures in July 34
3.5 Mean Daily Minimum Temperatures in January 34
3.6 Monthly Means of the Daily Mean Temperature at Brandon and the Long-term Extremes 34
3.7 Mean Annual Total Precipitation 35
3.8 Mean Monthly Precipitation Totals at Selected Stations 35
3.9 Mean 500 mb Height Contours in January 36
3.10 Mean 500 mb Height Contours in July 36
3.11 Principal Cyclone Tracks over North America 36
3.12 Principal Anticyclone Tracks over North America 37
3.13 Mean Annual Days with Thunderstorms 38
3.14 Crop Hail Damage Tracks for 50 Severe Hailstorms, 1970-1979 38
3.1.1 1992, a Year of Temperature Extremes in Southern Manitoba 40
3.2.1 Palliser's Triangle 41
Vlll
4.1 Ecoclimatic Zonation in Manitoba 44
4.2 Potential Natural Vegetation Zonation in Manitoba 45
4.3 Dominant Soil Landscapes in Manitoba 46
4.4 Transect from Mixed-grass Prairie to Boreal Forest 47
4.5 Soil Profiles for Some of Manitoba's Great Groups 47
4.6 Community Diversity Typical of Mixed-grass Prairie 47
4.7 Expansion of Aspen Parkland in Manitoba between 1905 and 1956 48
4.8 Community Diversity Typical of a Pothole Lake Margin 48
4.9 Ground-moraine Topography on the Minnedosa-Reston Till Plain 49
4.10 Community Diversity Typical of Undisturbed Tall-grass Prairie in the Red River Lowlands of Manitoba 49
4.11 Generalized Transect through Northern Coniferous Forest 51
4.12 A Typical Transect across the Forest-tundra from Boreal Forest in the Southwest to Tundra in the Northeast 51
4.13 Open Lichen Woodland and Fen on the Hudson Bay Lowlands, North of Gillam 52
4.14 Boundary between Open Lichen Woodland and the Forest-tundra near Twin Lakes, 35 km Southwest of
Churchill 52
4.15 Flag Forms of Spruce near Twin Lakes, in the Churchill Region 52
4.16 Typical Thermokarst Landscape on the Hudson Bay Lowlands North of Gillam 53
4.17 Lichen-dominated Palsa in a Fen Palsa Field Near the Churchill Northern Studies Centre 53
4.18 Two Individuals Standing on a Hydrolaccolith 54
4.1.1 Location of the Spruce Woods Sandhills Region 56
4.1.2 A Portion of the Active Dunes (The Bald Head Hills) 57
5.1 Generalized Map of the Ecozones of North America 66
5.2 Time Lines for the Late Prehistoric and the Protohistoric of Manitoba 67
5.3 Projectile Points Found in Southern Manitoba 67
5.4 Pottery Found in Southern Manitoba 68
5.5 Archaeological and Historic Sites in Southern Manitoba 69
6.1 Red River Country at the Time of the Founding of the Red River Settlement 80
6.2 Plan of Cumberland House in 1815 81
6.3 Hay Lands of the Red and Assiniboine Valleys about 1870 83
6.4 The Assiniboine River at St. Francois Xavier 84
6.1.1 Location of Metis Wintering Sites during the Period 1850-1880 89
6.1.2 A Multi-room Hivernant Dwelling 90
7.1 Regulations of 1881 93
7.2 Icelandic and Mennonite Settlement Areas of Manitoba 95
7.3 Francophone Settlements of Manitoba 99
7.1.1 Townships as Surveyed under the First System and the Third System 102
7.1.2 The Effect of Correction Lines on the Landscape of Southern Manitoba 103
7.2.1 Asessippi on the Shell River in the Early 1890s 104
7.2.2 The Location of Asessippi 104
7.2.3 An Abandoned House (the Worley-Thring House) at Asessippi 105
7.3.1 The East and West Mennonite Reserves in Southern Manitoba 106
7.3.2 The Three-field System of Land Division Practised by the Mennonites 106
7.3.3 Four Villages (Hochfeld, Reinland, Rosengart, Schoenwiese) in the West Mennonite Reserve 107
7.3.4 A Mennonite Combined House and Barn 707
IX
8.1 Population Pyramids for Manitoba in 1961 and 1991110
8.2 Age-sex Pyramids for Some Selected Communities and Areas in 1992 111
8.3 Population Changes for Major Regions of Manitoba, 1971-91114
8.4 Changes in Manitoba's Urban Population, 1981-91114
8.1.1 (a) Percentage of Manitoba's Population Aged 65 and Over in 1991; (b) Percentage Increase in Manitoba's Population
Aged 65 and Over, 1981-91119
8.1.2 (a) Percentage of Winnipeg's Population Aged 65 and Over in 1991; (b) Percentage Change in Winnipeg's Population
Aged 65 and Over, 1981-91120
8.3.1 Location of the Cemetery of Melita 123
8.3.2 Location of the Cemeteries of Sifton 123
8.3.3 Cemeteries and Burial Sites in the Rural Municipality of Hanover 124
9.1 Approximate Area Covered by Treaties 1 to 5128
9.2.1 The Location of St. Theresa Point 135
10.1 Early Development of Winnipeg 138
10.2 Evolution of the Built-up Area of Winnipeg, 1914-87 139
10.3 Some Winnipeg Place Names 140
10.4 The Core Area of Winnipeg 142
10.5 Downtown Winnipeg 143
10.6 Metropolitan Winnipeg under Unicity and the Urban-rural Fringe 147
10.1.1 "The Forks" at the Junction of the Red and the Assiniboine Rivers Epitomizes the History of Winnipeg 150
10.1.2 Projected Land Use at The Forks 151
11.1 The Layout of the Town of Roblin, 1991153
11.2 Downtown Brandon, Taken from the Northwest 153
11.3 An Ethnic Area in North Brandon 154
11.4 Schematic Representation of the Network of Service Centres in Southwestern Manitoba 157
11.5 Central Places of Southern Manitoba in 1989 with Type and Number of Services 158
11.1.1 The Strathclair District 161
11.1.2 Strathclair in 1989 162
11.1.3 Strathclair during the 1950s 163
11.2.1 Selected Settlements and Parks of Southern Manitoba 164
11.2.2 The Southern Part of Dauphin 165
11.2.3 Population Changes in the Dauphin Area, 1901-91 165
12.1 Resource Towns of Northern Manitoba 168
12.1.1 The Town of Churchill on the East Side of the Churchill River 172
12.1.2 The Layout of the Town of Churchill 173
12.2.1 The Winter Roads of Manitoba, Past and Present 175
12.2.2 Heavy Truck on Ice Road 176
13.1 Time Lines for Political Parties in Manitoba 181
13.2 Results of the 1988 Provincial Election 186
13.3 Results of the 1984,1988, and 1993 Federal Elections 187
13.4 Results of the 1995 Provincial Election 188
13.1.1 Location of the Former Brandon and the Present Brandon-Souris Federal Ridings 189
13.3.1 Planning Districts in Manitoba 193